sunnyn-58680 Reviews

And Just Like That... (2021– )

Enjoyable

[7/10 · 1 November 2023]

I actually really enjoy this series and scratches that "Sex and the City" itch for me.

Carrie and her new friend Seema are the standouts so far. In fact Seema feels like she could have been in the original cast. Her lifestyle, personality, and attitude really mesh well with the original cast.

The other additions are not as great as Seema. The Wexley's are gorgeous, fabulous, and wealthy, but they feel like they are on their own show. Too much focus is placed on these new additions, when part of why we loved "Sex and the City" so much is because of the friendships and character development of the original cast. Too much attention is devoted to the new additions. Seema can stay, though.

The show is definitely missing Samantha and her antics but is still worth a watch for the original fans of the show. There's still funny and heart felt moments throughout the series. Surprisingly, I'm missing Carrie's narration. I think it would have worked well with the podcast.

The Undoing (2020)

Had Potential to be Great

[7/10 · 5 July 2023]

The Undoing had a very strong start with a mysterious woman from a lower socioeconomic background who acts strangely in a circle of wealthy moms and gets murdered.

Unfortunately, the series ends entirely predictably with the husband having his DNA all over the crime scene, exposed as a sociopath by his mother, and then coercing his son on a reckless joyride. I was hoping for a different ending or more suspects the entire time. In a show of this genre, it's a disservice to make the perpetrator so obvious.

There was strong tension throughout the series and started off with some really interesting puzzle pieces. Unfortunately, the writing started to fall off in the middle when it became apparent that the husband committed the crime. More focus should have been placed on the murder victim because she had the potential to be really interesting.

Nicole Kidman has clearly had a lot of Botox injected into her face, as she is unable to emote. Her face never reflects the emotions she verbalizes. However, this kind of works in her role as a wealthy Manhattan mom. Her Australian accent comes out frequently, which is a bit distracting.

Overall, it was an engaging series that fell apart at the end. Compared to other murder mystery thrillers, it lacks that special something that makes it stand out.

Manifest (2018–2023)

Interesting Plot, Bad Writing

[7/10 · 18 June 2023]

Really interesting premise about a plane that goes missing and reappears five years later. With the reappearance comes "callings" that are essentially missions given to the passengers from some unknown force.

The callings provide too convenient of a way for passengers to get out of sticky situations, a sign of lazy writing. Furthermore, there are many bad romance plots with corny lines that detract from the main story, which is actually pretty compelling. Manifest feels like a corny Lifetime or Hallmark movie a lot of the time.

Manifest has some really shallow and poorly written, one dimensional characters. There are very clear cut "good guys" and "bad guys." Angelina proves to be the most interesting of all the characters written in the show, and she isn't even a main character.

The best thing about this show is watching the mystery unravel and learn about the purpose of the callings and why the passengers disappeared and reappeared. Over the course of the series, the series devolves into a religious story, which may or may not be something viewers are interested in.

Swarm (2023)

A Thrilling Ride

[9/10 · 14 April 2023]

This is an extremely stylish satire on stan culture, drawing obvious inspiration from Beyoncé and the Bey Hive, hence the title, Swarm.

The cast is phenomenal and delivers on great acting. Dominique Fishback as Dre is extremely captivating and was a phenomenal casting choice. Special shout-out to Billie Eilish. Who knew she could act so well!?

Swarm follows the story of Dre, a girl who loses her sister and gradually finds her love for murder. She loses her only place of belonging in her sister and starts latching even harder onto Nijah, the Beyoncé figure in this story. In a way, Dre's overprotectiveness over Nijah is an extension of her guilt over not being able to save her sister. Nijah becomes her substitute for family and belonging that results in Dre becoming increasingly engrossed within the swarm.

This is a truly unique take on the slasher genre. Dre's descent into madness is unsettling. My one complaint about this show is that Dre is so unusual that it's hard to believe that this could ever be a real person. She is very detached from humanity, which adds to the style of the show.

Beef (2023– )

Unique

[10/10 · 8 April 2023]

I came into this completely blind. Never saw the trailer but knew it was going to be Asian American centered. I thought it was going to be a comedy since Ali Wong is in it! I was very wrong.

This is a gripping drama about two people living parallel lives in different circumstances. Money, status, and mental health are key topics covered in this series with a unique Asian American cultural twist. Steven Yeun delivers, as always, but I was also very pleasantly surprised by Ali Wong's performance! She excelled in this serious role.

I loved watching the unraveling of the two main character's lives as their lives become increasingly worse. Of course, they have been miserable for a long time, but the collision serves as an effective catalyst for these two who have completely "had it" with their lives. They have met their match in each other and use each other as punching bags as an outlet, even though they're experiencing similar issues. Something as trivial as a road rage incident evolves into worse and worse situations for the both of them.

The writing is effective and well paced. The viewer gets a great sense of why these people are the way they are. There is no clear cut hero and villain archetype but rather two humans dealing with more than they can manage - something everyone can relate to.

True Blood (2008–2014)

Something You Can Sink Your Fangs Into

[10/10 · 22 January 2023]

If you're a fan of vampires but not interested in teenage drama, this is the show for you.

The acting is impeccable. Rutina Wesley is absolutely captivating as Tara Thornton. The story unfolds in a logical manner and is very well paced. There are no true "big bads" to speak of. The show does a great job at making complex characters. There are no protagonists that are truly good and no antagonists that are truly evil. Each character is driven by their own motives and backgrounds.

Be warned that there is gratuitous amounts of sex and the transitions can feel sudden and jarring. If you've watched Twilight, Sookie can feel a bit like Bella, in that everyone wants to be with her. At times, this feels like an eye roll.

This show does a great job at showcasing the navigation of vampire and human society at the forefront of integration. The pacing of the show is perfect - just enough intrigue to keep the viewer hooked without giving too much away or being boring.

House of Darkness (2022)

A Whole Lot of Nothing

[5/10 · 15 January 2023]

Firstly, the acting is really good but that's about it. The plot is thin and dragged out. I had high hopes for the movie but it failed to deliver on much of anything. The main characters talk for an hour about nothing in particular. Then, you think it's going to get interesting when Justin Long is trapped in a cave. Unfortunately, it's just a dream! They continue to talk about nothing, sharing bad stories with one another until, surprise! The sisters are vampires. Then, a surprise third sister comes out in the last ten minutes! This definitely felt more appropriate as an episode of tales from the crypt than an entire movie.

Pretty Little Liars (2010–2017)

Fun but Repetitive

[6/10 · 3 January 2023]

Who's A? Could it be this person? No. It's actually this other person. Just kidding! It's another person! Could it be this other person you barely remember?

This is a fun watch. The main characters are all likable and get some great development over the course of the series. The series gets very formulaic and repetitive over time. By the end of season 6, where they finally revealed A, I did not care anymore. The seasons are long and there are some really fun twists and turns, but this could have benefitted from shorter seasons. The teacher-student relationship was extremely creepy and it was gross that they dragged it on for the entire series.

Severance (2022– )

Fresh and Unique

[10/10 · 29 December 2022]

There's never been a show quite like Severance, except maybe Black Mirror. It takes the concept of "work-life balance" to the extreme. An almost dystopian world where a mega corporation controls many aspects of its employees lives, while also providing convenience.

Severance has a slow start but builds until an insane cliff hanger at the end of season 1. The viewer really develops a strong sense of the "work self" and "personal life self" and understanding that even though they are the same person, they are not the same. It is really easy to become attached to each character in the series. The writing is too notch, the characters are well developed, and Adam Scott delivers in a non-comedic role. Like many, I was familiar with his role on Parks and Recreation. Certainly, he exhibits the same charm but in a different way here.

This show is a must watch!

The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)

One of the greatest horror films of recent time

[9/10 · 6 October 2022]

The Witch is a slow burn. Do not expect this to be exciting right away. The film starts right away with a tense and dark tone. It also offers great insight into the oppressive nature of puritan christianity and gender roles during this time period. There is some genuinely disturbing and artistic imagery here of the actual witch. The acting is top notch as well. Anya Taylor Joy is captivating to behold as the audience witnesses her transformation from puritan Christian to full blown witch. Her journey to becoming a witch is the most amazing part of the film - a girl who is accused by her family again and again as a witch, only to become the very thing that they've accused her of.

In the Dark (2019–2022)

Strong Start that Becomes Increasingly Absurd

[7/10 · 21 September 2022]

The story starts off strong with solid and complex characters. Murphy is clearly in need of some mental health support and is seriously jaded but otherwise likable. Jess is the anchor that holds Murphy to reality. I really loved their relationship in the beginning. I also liked watching Felix grow and mature as he finds a place to belong in this friend group. As the story continues, the plot veers into the absurd. Josh Wallace in particular was unbearable to watch with his and Chicago PD's obsession with Murphy. I found it hard to believe that Josh was able to know exactly what Murphy was doing at any given time. In addition, I disliked his selective blindness, where sometimes he was completely unable to operate due to his condition but other times completely able to see. One would think that in a large city like Chicago, there would be other cases that could be more pressing than the death of a drug king pin. It seemed very out of character that Jess would abandon Murphy, her family, and Felix without notifying anyone. I was deeply saddened by Max's passing and was hoping he and Murphy would run off to live a normal life together. Instead, the ending we got was an easily provable murder of a Chicago police officer with DNA, fingerprints, and cellphone usage all around the crime scene.

Overall, I enjoyed the series but the writing choices proved to be the downfall of this show.

House of the Dragon (2022– )

If GOT Wasn't Interesting

[6/10 · 13 September 2022]

The issue with House of the Dragon is that it just isn't interesting. Game of Thrones had so much political intrigue that the audience paid attention to every single detail. There was always a massive payoff with some seriously shocking events. The seasons (prior to 8) had interesting and complex story lines.

With House of the Dragon, this is not quite the case. Where is the political intrigue? Where is the conflict? A plot centered around a daughter's refusal to marry/being a female heir is not interesting enough to be the sole plot for four episodes. There needs to be additional conflict. I will keep watching and praying that it gets more interesting. If this is a slow burn, it is VERY slow.

Killing Eve (2018–2022)

A Must Watch

[10/10 · 30 July 2022]

First of all, the acting and the writing is top notch. We all know Sandra Oh is one heck of an actress, but the real star is Jodie Comer as Oksana. I really enjoyed the shades of gray of each character. There are no clear cut heroes and villains in this show. You see each person grow and change as the story unfolds. Sexuality is also used to portray this notion of nothing being binary. I was let down by the ending, but most of that is because that was not the ending that I personally wanted.

D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! (2022)

Terrible

[5/10 · 15 July 2022]

I cannot believe this case has its own four episode series. They add no new information. They hound this man trying to get him to admit that he was DB Cooper. Meanwhile he just wants to be left alone and is clearly messing with investigators. News flash: it's been 50 years. The man is dead. They delve deep into conspiracy and government cover ups but in all likelihood, no one in the government cares about 250k that was stolen in the 70s. Do not watch. Waste of time.

Desperate Housewives (2004–2012)

Was not expecting this...

[10/10 · 5 January 2022]

I watched Desperate Housewives for the first time ever out of sheer boredom and I ended up binging the entire series. It got me hooked from the first episode. Something crazy is always happening but at the core, this is a story about friendship and growth. There are some seriously funny moments mixed into all the chaos and many heartfelt ones too. I actually got emotionally during the last episode. It felt like the last episode of Friends. I had grown attached to all of these women and their families and didn't want it to end.

Midnight Mass (2021)

Slow and Boring

[4/10 · 27 September 2021]

Takes wayyyyyyy too long to build up. A lot of dialogue with nothing happening in terms of plot. I'm a huge fan of Flanagan's previous works and this show was even praised by Stephen King. I'm not expecting it to be action packed or full of jump scares, I just need something to happen. ANYTHING!

Malignant (I) (2021)

So Much Fun!

[8/10 · 13 September 2021]

This is CAMP! Some people are reviewing this like it was meant to be the next Conjuring. This is not, and James Wan knows it. This movie is ridiculous and gory and the most fun I've had watching a horror movie in a long time!